Connecting means for the axles of gun carriages



April 8 1924. 1,489,889

Filed 001;. 5, 1923 T" l Z awe/rm Egan F- E -Que Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

stares BRYAN 3. JOYCE, F DAVENPORT,

IOWA, AND DAYTON A. GURNEY, CARD,

MICHIGAN.

CONNECTING MEAN$ FOR THE AXLES OF GUN GABRIAGES.

Application filed October 5, 1923.

Serial No. 666,774.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L,, 625.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BRYAN P. JoYoE and DAYTON A. GURNEY, citizens of the United States, and residents of Davenport,

county of Scott, and State of Iowa, and Caro, in the county of Tuscola and State of Michigan, respectively, have invented an Improvement in Connecting Means for the Axles of Gun Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein maybe used by theGovernment, or by any of its ofiicers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to us of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 8, 1883.

The present invention relates to connecting means for the axles of gun carriages.

The subject of this invention is a gun carriage and the invention relates more specifically to means for hanging the carriage from its axle.

In the construction of gun carriages it is desirable that the structure be of such nature that the carriage may travel over rough ground without injurious shocks and strain and that the structure may be rendered comparatively rigid and free from vibration when the gun is in firing position.

In devices of this kind it is desirable that the carriage when the trail is lowered to firing position have a three-point support about one of which points the carriage may be oscillated.

To accomplish these results in practice a spring suspension is provided between the axle and the gun carriage and the axle is mounted so as to freely move in its housing. It has been found, however, in travel that unrestrained lateral movement of the axle in its housing is objectionable.

The primary object of this invention then is to provide means to prevent this lateral movement of the axle in its housing.

A further object is the provision of means which will prevent this lateral movement while permitting complete freedom of movement in a vertical plane.

lVith the foregoing and otherobjects in view, our invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A' practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of the lower gun carriage with the axle mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the axle connection.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference: Y

5 is an axle mounted in the lower gun carriage 6. This gun carriage is of the split trail type and is described completely in Patents Nos. 1,447,085 and 1,447,086, dated February 27, 1923. As the structure of this gun carriage and the resilient mounting of the carriage upon the axle is not an essential feature of this invention it will not be described here.

The axle 5 is mounted in a housing 1 on the gun carriage. This housing is provided with front and rear vertical side walls 2 and 3 in,

which are formed alined openings 7 and 8. An aperture 9 is provided in the axle in alinement with the openings 7 and 8 of the axle housing. Adjacent the aperture 9 in the'axle and preferably at the front thereof is a recess 10, rectangular in shape. Fitting in said recess is a rectangularly shaped connecting member 11. Seated in the opening 7 of the front wall of the axle housing is a bushing 12 which serves to maintain the connecting member 11 in position in the recess 10 of the axle.

With the structure described it is clear that in travel the axle is free to move in a vertical plane within the limits of its housing but that the connecting member 11 serves to prevent movement of the axle laterally of its housing.

hen the gun is brought to firing position a pin of the type described in the hereinbefore mentioned patents is used in order 1 to provide a firm connection between the gun carriage and the axle.

While the recess in the axle and the connecting member have been described as rectangular in shape it is obvious that a recess and a connecting member of any other suitable form would perform the function herein recited.

W'e claim:

1. In combination With an axle and a housing therefor, said axle provided With a recess, of a connecting member mounted in the housing and adapted to enter the recess to prevent lateral movement of the axle relative to the housing While permitting vertical movement of the axle relative to the connecting member itself, and means for maintaining the connecting member in position in the recess, said axle, housing and retaining means being provided With aligned apert-ures.

2. The combination with an axle, and a housing therefor, said axle provided with a recess, of a connecting member mounted in said housing and adapted to enter said recess and a bushing in said housing adapted to hold said connecting member in position in said recess, said axle, housing and bushing being provided With alined apertures.

3. The combination With an axle and housing therefor, said axle provided with a re cess, of a connecting member mounted in the housing and adapted to enter the recess, means maintaining the connecting member in position in the recess, said axle, housin and retaining means being provided Wit aligned apertures.

e. The combination with an axle and a housing therefor, one of said members pro vided With a recess, of a connecting member mounted on the other member adapted to enter the recess to prevent lateral movement of the axle in the housing While permitting vertical movement of the axle relative to the connecting member itself.

5. The combination with an axle and a housing therefor, of a connecting member secured to the housing adapted to prevent lateral movement of the axle relative to the housing While permitting unrestrained movement of the axle in a Vertical plane relative to the connecting member itself.

6. The combination With an axle and a housing therefor, of a connecting member interposed between the axle and housing to prevent lateral movement of said axle relative to said housing While permitting unrestrained movement of said axle in a vertical plane relative to the connecting member itself.

BRYAN P. JOYCE. DAYTON A. GURNEY. 

